End Of The Line
by TokehGecko
Summary: Is it necessary for bonds like Friendship, Family and Love to break to be able to go forward? Watch Naruto break his bonds. Chap 2 is up.
1. Prologue

Naruto Fanfiction

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

Author's Note: Sup?

---

A Hitai-ate.

Without it, he really didn't feel like a Shinobi.

Without it.

He had wrapped it around a tree trunk and left it behind to walk towards his destination as someone who was no Shinobi. He wanted to know what it felt like to be an outsider, a normal villager even, and stand on top of the Hokage's faces.

The wind blew his hair away from his sight and it really felt different, feeling the wind without a headband. He looked down to see several lights on in the Village that was Konoha. He wondered if they were people he knew, the people who still had their lights on.

Maybe it was Shikamaru still playing Go with Asuma. It could be Ino staying with Sakura or the other way around, talking about all sorts of stuff, stuff he didn't even want to know about. Maybe it was Sasuke, who was still regretting all the decisions he had made in the past... with his lights on. In two hours, the sun would show itself again, after all.

But it could also be Kakashi, reading his books. Of course he wouldn't use his Sharingan to read them, and it's difficult reading them in the dark, especially with only one eye.

Perhaps it was Chouji, eating in his sleep, but not without turning the light on, of course... It's difficult eating in the dark, even if you're sleeping, which you do with your eyes closed...

It could be so many people, he realized. But, he did remember the words the Third once threw at him, when he was still a brat.

"_One of the tasks given to the Hokage is to know everything that's going down in his Country. To know what everyone is doing."_

Naruto furrowed his brows as his long blonde bangs were waving back and forth across his cheeks because of a cold breeze. "Strange... It seems so impossible to know everything." He said out loud as he was still gazing over the Village. "And the responsibilities... Am I really good enough to become Hokage? All the things I've been doing until now. Chasing both Sasuke and Sakura... My goal does not have time for such things, in honesty... Does it?"

Naruto closed his eyes as he jumped off of the Yondaime's head and head over the tree where his headband was at. Only to see...

That it seemed to be radiate that being a Shinobi meant so much more things.

He took the Hitai-ate tightly in his grasp and smirked. "No more going back, no more distractions! The old hag wants me to be fully prepared, so... I'm leaving everything! I will start anew!"

**End of the Line**  
_- Prologue_

"Hey."

Sasuke looked up to see his blonde rival standing in front of him. He himself had been seated in front of the door of his own house. Brooding, as always, but in a different away. Brooding with regret thrown in.

"Hey." He replied.

"I wanted you to know..." Naruto started as he stared intently at Sasuke. With his arms folded in front of his chest, Sasuke noted he looked much more mature than the little Naruto he remembered from so many years ago. "I'm off your case from now on. You can do whatever you want in this Village. I am not supposed to care. So..." He held out his hand. "I want to break the bonds between us."

Sasuke's eyes widened momentarily, before his looked changed to confusion. "Break the bonds?"

Naruto didn't smile, wanting to come across seriously. "Yeah... So I can make them anew... and stronger than before."

"So, you want us to forget the past?" Sasuke asked, eyes narrowing. A past they were sharing, their past, could not be forgotten easily. Perhaps never at all.

Naruto shook his head, again, gently. "No, I want to make things around here... a good springboard."

Now, Sasuke was really confused and his slight anger was gone. "Springboard?" He repeated.

Naruto nodded, still holding his hand out. "I'll leave you be. I'm in a whole different situation now. This means I shouldn't keep wasting time for my own personal... things."

Sasuke didn't know for sure, but there was something off with Naruto. "You're having problems, Naruto? I... I can help."

"Help?" Naruto sighed. "You'll help by shaking my hand."

Sasuke nodded and shook his hand. "So what now?"

Naruto released the handhold and turned. Looking over his shoulder, he grinned. "It's now time for me to walk the line... Like you have done towards your brother. Like Sakura has done towards you and towards Tsunade... And now I will..."

Sasuke grinned all of a sudden as Naruto walked away. "To becoming Hokage, huh?" He finished silently. "You'll accomplish that feat with ease..."

Naruto never heard any of that as he had vanished already.

---

Sakura was cleaning up the house she was now living in. Two years ago, she moved out of her parents' home and now lived close to both Naruto and Sasuke. They were now nineteen, all of them. Sakura would turn twenty sooner than Sasuke and Naruto. Strange, that she was the oldest of the trio. The oldest member of team 7, minus Hatake Kakashi, of course.

A knock on the door disturbed her cleaning. But she was kind of glad to have some distraction, so she immediately opened the door. "Naruto!"

"Hey, Sakura-chan..." He sniffed his nose and sneezed horribly, with his hands covering his mouth of course. "Ughh... you cleaning the house, huh?"

Sakura giggled, remembering how sensitive Naruto's nose had become. "Yeah, someone has to do it. Or do you want to do it?" She asked, remembering what Naruto's house looked like.

"Uh, no thanks." He replied quickly. "I came to tell you a few things, Sakura-chan. Can I come in?"

"Of course, Naruto!" She replied with a frown. "What kind of a silly question is that?"

Naruto walked past Sakura and took a seat on one of the two couches in the living room, while beaming at the pictures of Team 7 on a small table close by. "Heh, you keep the pictures too, I see."

Sakura nodded her head as she took a seat on the other couch. "Yeah... It brings back good memories." She took a look at Naruto in his Jounin Uniform. Which meant he had a mission or at least had to report to the Hokage during the day. Then again, this was Naruto, who wore Jounin Uniforms just for fun.

Naruto nodded, though there was a sad gleam in his eyes. "Yeah, and some bad ones, too."

Sakura shrugged. "You can't have ONLY good ones, right?" She said as she patted Naruto on the head.

Naruto beamed again. "You're right about that." He sighed and let silence wash over them for about five seconds.. "Sakura-chan. I wanted to tell you..."

Sakura frowned at the sudden seriousness in his voice and expression. "Naruto..."

Naruto smiled gently. "I'll no longer be bothering you, Sakura-chan." He suddenly voiced. "All those annoying times of me asking you out for dates... It's over; you can spend all your time on Sasuke. I've got... more important stuff to bind my attention to."

Sakura frowned at him. "More important?"

Naruto nodded. "I realized, Sakura-chan, that I've been wasting time, a lot of time. Chasing after you and Sasuke was unnecessarily. Only the time where we hunted after Sasuke so Orochimaru couldn't get him was needed. The other times, I was just being childish..."

Sakura looked a bit worried at Naruto's serious expression. "Naruto, you..."

"The old hag... She says it's about time I stop being such a brat, too." Naruto explained further. "I've been thinking about it and... She's right. Even if I don't like it, I've been holding on to my former self for too long. This here is the end of the line, Sakura-chan."

"What do you mean, Naruto?"

"I..." He held out his hand. "I want to break our bonds."

Sakura's gaze turned a bit angry. "Break our bonds!"

"Don't misunderstand, Sakura-chan." He shook his head. "Just so I can start anew again with you, in a different way. One where I no longer chase after you. One where I finally chase after my own clouds..."

"You're going to change things with this, huh?" Sakura asked, looking at Naruto's hand.

"Yup! And I'm ready for it." He moved his hand, as if telling her to shake it.

Sakura sighed and shook his hand. "I want you to know, Naruto... That if I don't like it... I'll take this handshake back..."

Naruto smiled as he turned for the door. "You can't take handshakes back, Sakura-chan... It's like... a Promise of a Lifetime..."

And then Naruto left her house, leaving Sakura a bit worried, especially thanks to his last words.

---

"Naruto?"

Naruto nodded his head as Naruto appeared in front of Kakashi, who seemed to be training in his private training spot. "Good to see you're not rusting, Kakashi-sensei."

It was quite difficult to find Kakashi when he was training. This training field was, outside of Konoha, after all. "What brings you here, Naruto?"

"Well, I'll leave you to your training, so.. I'll be quick." Naruto said. "I'm leaving team 7, to walk the path Tsunade has thrown before me."

Kakashi's eye closed, indicating a grin. "Hokage, huh?" The genius immediately let out.

"Yeah..." Naruto said. "Time for some serious training..."

---

'Breaking the bonds to make them stronger than before? Didn't we already do that?'

Sasuke was still sitting on the perch in front of his house.

'What is he up to? Doesn't he realize that we still have so many missions? Our team, Team Kakashi, has become really... well-known. Hokage-sama only gives us high-ranked Missions.'

---

Sasuke and Sakura were waiting at the spot they were always waiting, when Kakashi was late. "Damn that tardy bastard..." Sakura let out in a dangerous whisper.

Sasuke nodded his head in agreement. "And where the hell is Naruto?" She followed up.

That was something Sasuke also wanted to know. The blonde one usually arrived here on the same time he did.

The answer came when Kakashi appeared... with Sai by his side. "Hey, I couldn't find Sai here, since he wasn't at the place where he was supposed to be. Otherwise, I would have been here earlier than you guys."

--'

"Anyway, Naruto is no longer part of team Seven. He has some personal issues he has to deal with. But we've got Sai now, so, let's do this mission..."

Sakura and Sasuke were both frowning. 'Naruto...?'

---

Naruto was scratching his head as he stared down on his new mission. "Ne, Hokage-sama. This wasn't really what I was expecting." He let out as he stared at the scroll in his hands. "Iruka-sensei knows about this, too?"

Tsunade grinned wickedly as two other Jounins entered the Office.

Naruto looked up from the scroll to see Hyuga Neji and Nara Shikamaru enter the Office. "Ah, she tricked you guys too?"

Shikamaru yawned, even though it was close to evening. "Tricked? I suspect only you got tricked, Naruto."

Neji nodded. "It is rather obvious, after all."

"Shut up." Was Naruto's only reply. "So, who are they?"

Tsunade smiled as she put a paper in front of her on her desk. "Nara Shikamaru, Hyuga Neji and Uzumaki Naruto. No longer simply Jounins. Now, Jounin Instructors."

All of them didn't seem all happy with it as they kept their gaze on Tsunade. "Shikamaru, your students are Inuzuka Mayu, Inuzuka Aku and Sarutobi Shikamaru."

Shikamaru frowned. "There's another Sarutobi? And he's got the same name as me? And two Inuzukas? You really want me to say the word, huh?"

"Sarutobi Shikamaru. He's Asuma and Kurenai's brat. Apparently Asuma really liked you and named his kid after you. And the Inuzukas are twins. I figured you'd be good to handle them."

"This is just too..." Shikamaru decided it was too obvious for his audience to finish the sentence and got lazy.

"Hyuga Neji." Tsunade started. "Your students are Yamanaka Kaji, Akimichi Attha and Nara Shin."

Shikamaru whistled. "That Nara brat will really be getting on your nerves, Neji. He's well known in our Clan..."

Neji shrugged. "It's in the kid's best interest to not get on my bad side... I've decided to be the direct opposite of my former Jounin Instructor."

Naruto, Shikamaru and even Tsunade, cringed at that. "Anyway, Naruto. Your team consists of Aburame Kira, Hyuga Hanatou and Hyuga Yashiro."

Neji frowned. "Two Hyugas in one team? One from the Main Family and the other's from the Branch. No wonder you made Naruto their Jounin Instructor."

"I must admit that this year we have some strange formations, but that's the way it is. Deal with it, Naruto." Tsunade informed. "The Hyugas are no twins. But I suppose all of you need to know your students a bit more properly before you get to actually meet them."

"First up." Tsunade started. "Inuzuka Mayu and Inuzuka Aku. They're twins and they get along. Nothing more than getting along. Their parents are divorced, but both mother and father are Inuzukas. One lived with the mother, the other with the father. They might be a bit competitive. Sarutobi Shikamaru isn't the smartest around and he doesn't have the same Chakra Type his father had. He did get a lot of his mother, though."

"Second team." Tsunade turned towards Neji. "Yamanaka Kaji is a danger to the people around him, because unlike his family members, it seems he's developing his skills the other way around. He can already read your mind whenever he wants to and knows telepathy. He doesn't know how to enter another body, though. Nara Shin is..." She turned to look at Naruto. "For lack of better terms, a bit like Naruto was when he was young." She gave a look of sympathy to Neji. "Good luck with that. And Akimichi Attha is the number one Rookie of this year's class."

"Naruto." Tsunade started, and already Naruto didn't like it. "There's a possibility that the two Hyugas will go at each other's throats. Don't kill them when they do, just silence them. They were in the same class and rivalry is too small a word to use for them. Pure hatred is what they feel towards each other."

Naruto turned to look at Neji, who merely shrugged.

"They're both very talented. Aburame Kira is a quiet girl, but very talented. Her bugs are very rare and people within the Clan fear her because of them. Naruto, you should know... Her bugs are poisonous, from fire, water, electricity and ice. If trained well, her bugs hold the possibility to create a plague..."

Naruto whistled. "So she can actually make an entire Village fall through disease, hm?"

"Thus, the reason why she isn't very liked. She has no parents, Naruto..." Tsunade said.

Naruto's eyes widened and he understood immediately. "Where does she live?"

"Her parents died because they lost control of their own bugs. Her mother died as she gave birth and the father died because of his own bugs, which had just started evolving in what his daughter now has."

"I see." Naruto nodded his head. "I'm one step closer to becoming Hokage with this... Hokage-sama. I'll do my best." Naruto bowed his head, surprising all others in the room.

Neji frowned at the bowing Naruto, but followed suit. Shikamaru just sighed, but also bowed shortly.

Tsunade's surprise only lasted for a second. "Good luck, you three. I'm sorry to say this, but another Genin Test won't be necessary. They all have passed already, got it?"

Neji, Naruto and Shikamaru walked out of the office and closed the door. "Man, I'm really not going to like this... Two Inuzukas?" Shikamaru whined. "I'm too lazy to ask Kiba for advice..." He tiredly said.

"Pf, you have it easy." Naruto commented. "I've got two Hyugas in my team. Those two will be a handful."

Neji smirked as he patted Naruto on the shoulder. "A good start on becoming Hokage? Or a good start on trying to change the Hyuga?"

Naruto snorted. "Don't start already. We've just begun this."

Neji shrugged. "I don't see why you two are so worked up about this. I also seem to have a rough team. This Yamanaka kid seems to be able to read my mind from the get go. But the worst thing is... I've got a kid who seems to act like Naruto did when he was young. This might be harder than any S-rank Mission I've had now..."

"I was great when I was a kid." Naruto mumbled. "You should be honoured to have someone like me as your subordinate."

"Sorry, but... no." Neji replied. "Let's get something to eat before we meet up with our teams. The Academy Graduation lasts for another two hours, anyway."

Shikamaru and Naruto both nodded their heads.

---

"Woohoo!"

"Waahooo!"

Shikamaru came in the clearing to see two kids jumping from tree branch to branch, trying to rotate while jumping. "Hey, damn brats! Get down here!" He yelled lazily.

Sarutobi Shikamaru looked up at the Jounin. "Who are you?" He asked as the two Inuzukas landed behind him, not really acknowledging each other.

"I'm your Jounin Sensei. I give orders, you obey them." Shikamaru said. "Now, why don't you three introduce yourselves?"

"Because I don't really feel like it." The little Shikamaru said, which irked the older one a bit.

"I'm Inuzuka Mayu." The female one started. "My father says that I'll probably be the greatest Inuzuka ever if I keep up the training the way I do. I like to train and eat with my dog."

Shikamaru just noticed the two dogs the twins carried with them. 'Was Akamaru ever that small?'

"My name is Inuzuka Aku and my mother says that I'll be held back if my Jounin Instructor isn't as powerful as the Hokage. I'll also be held back if I were to be put in the same team as her." He said as he pointed at his twin sister.

"Tcheh, if anything, I'd make you grow stronger faster! Take better care of you dog!" Mayu countered, but was stopped as Shikamaru's hand appeared in front of her and Aku's face. "Your yelling is giving me a headache. I get really mad when I get a headache." He turned towards Aku. "Continue."

Aku nodded, noticing a vein on Shikamaru's forehead. "I like to train as hard as I can, until I faint. And then wake up to find my dog trying to lick me awake."

"You?"

The small Shikamaru shook his head. "I still don't feel like it."

---

"I am Hyuga Neji, your Jounin Instructor." Neji started. "I already know all I need to know about you, so I feel that introductions aren't really needed."

"You really do feel that way." A young blonde boy grumbled as he stared intently into Neji's eyes.

Neji simply glared. "If I catch you reading my thoughts again. I will make sure you'll go back to Ninja Academy for at least three years."

Yamanaka Kaji swallowed nervously as he saw Neji wasn't kidding and that he could actually do it, too.

Neji frowned at the Akimichi from his team. The kid wasn't fat at all, was she different from all other Akimichis? Neji snorted shortly after, as he could feel the Chakra around Attha Akimichi. 'So she's using a Genjutsu to hide her true body? But why isn't she eating?'

The remaining member was Nara Shin, who was simply staring at him. "So you're our Jounin Sensei, huh?"

Neji nodded with a slight smile on his face.

"You don't look like much."

---

Hyuga Hanatou was a member of the Main Family and Hyuga Yashiro was a member of the Branch Family. Both really hated each other's guts ever since they got in each other's class at the Academy.

Aburame Kira was seated on the ground, staring from one Hyuga to another, until she got tired of it and stared at the ground.

"Why did you have to be in my team?" Yashiro said. "Your parents saw how talented I was and made sure you would learn from me, huh? So they arranged for you to be in the same team as me!"

"You wish!" Hanatou reacted. "You're the one who's coming after my skills!"

"Okay, okay, enough you two."

Kira, Hanatou and Yashiro all had the same thoughts. 'Damn, didn't even sense him...'

"I am Uzumaki Naruto and I will be your Jounin Instructor." Naruto grinned at the three youngsters in front of him.

"Uzumaki-sensei, hm?" Hanatou wondered out loud. "Sorry, but... Byakugan!" Naruto sighed and shook his head, as Hanatou immediately closed his eyes. "Wha... What was that?" Hanatou yelled as he rubbed his eyes.

Naruto scratched his head. "Yeah, well, those fancy Doujutsus you guys have... Don't try them on me, because I seem to have too much Chakra around me for your eyes to handle."

"What!" Yashiro yelled unbelievably. "Too much Chakra!"

Kira also was quite surprised. "Ah... My bugs tell me the same thing... You have too much Chakra your body can handle."

Naruto seemed surprised as he gazed at Kira, but smiled. "Smart bugs you got there... That's the reason I'm one of the guys in this Village that gets more than one S-rank Mission a day... I need to release Chakra constantly. Anyway..." He stared at all of them. "Time for some introductions."

---

TBC

The next Chapter will start a year after this. Neji, Naruto and Shikamaru have become close friends, trading tips every now and then about being a Jounin Instructor. They enter their teams for the Chuunin Exams.

Next chapter, Naruto will train directly under Tsunade, Jiraiya, Homura Mitokado and Utatane Koharu.

Sasuke and Sakura confront Naruto after a year... finally!


	2. Chap 1

Naruto Fanfiction

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

Author's Note: Pre-read by Yurusane and Pyr00tje; Who's working on DiD as you read this! (Down Into Darkness, ;)...) Who am I kidding? Also, Yurusane is a new writer here, I think he just posted a new story here. He writes mostly romance, though... Be sure to pay him a visit!

---

"Hey, you guys heard the news?"

Sakura and Ino looked behind them to see Shino and Kiba walk towards them. All four had finally become Jounin this year. "Well, did you?"

Both Sakura and Ino shook their heads. "What news?" Kiba just grinned at them.

"You're always like this, yelling all kinds of things, but never explaining!" Ino added.

Shino seemed to nod, but no one could ever tell, while Kiba simply shrugged. "Well, well... Neji's, Naruto's and Shikamaru's teams are finally entering the Chuunin Exams! With their skills, this one will be fun to watch!"

Sakura's eyes widened momentarily. "Naruto's team? Ah, I can't wait to see how those kids turned out with him as their teacher."

Ino frowned at her best friend. "You know, you should not underestimate Naruto anymore, Sakura. He's become one of the strongest Jounins in Konoha. Even Asuma-sensei says he stands no chance against him."

Kiba chuckled and wanted to talk, but Shino interrupted. "Uzumaki Naruto has recently become the strongest Jounin. My bugs have recently discovered that they can still sense Naruto-kun even when he is in the Mist Village..."

Ino's eyes widened. When Shino said something, it was always true, they had all learned. "Therefore, I am quite interested to see how his students have turned out. Especially Aburame Kira." He commented. "I am sure she has more talent than I do."

Kiba snorted. "Come on, Shino. We were damn good when we were Genins!"

Shino seemed to shrug.

"Anyway!" Kiba seemed to interrupt his own speech. "Naruto has persuaded one his former teachers to teach his students. I think it was Jiraiya-sama, don't know for sure. I and Shino are meeting up with him, want to tag along?"

Ino whined. "I can't! This sucks..." She nagged a bit more. "I have to watch the Flower Shop. Sakura, you're coming with me, right?"

Sakura blushed. "Ah, actually, Ino..."

"You traitor... Do you know how boring it is, sitting alone in there?" Ino screeched.

"Well, Naruto is my former teammate, you know... Besides, I haven't talked to him in ages..." Sakura said as she walked away from Ino and followed Kiba and Shino.

"Tcheh, Shikamaru is my former teammate too, you know?" Ino yelled after her. "You don't see me running towards that lazy bastard! Do you?"

**End Of The Line**  
- Chapter 1

"You should see them, then you'll believe me!"

Neji sighed as Naruto was bragging again. "I don't know, a Hyuga is difficult to beat, after all, so maybe your team is better than ours." He figured as he took another sip from his drink. Sake.

Shikamaru took a sip as well. "Anyway, we'll find out during this Exam. I hope those brats become Chuunin, so I won't have to watch them anymore. "

Naruto had his arms folded behind his head as he sat on the stool next to Shikamaru's, who sat in the middle. "Well, believe it or not, but my team actually has some teamwork. Can you imagine those two stuck up Hyugas cooperating?"

"I couldn't even imagine you cooperating with Sasuke and Sakura back then." Shikamaru lazily let out. "But, as you can see, you turned out moderately, so anything's possible."

"But I do consider those two Hyugas a real pest to deal with when combined. For a Jounin Instructor, that is." Neji turned to Naruto. "I applaud you, somewhat, Naruto. Although my team was no picnic either. I can't help but agree with Shikamaru; I hope they become Chuunin."

"Tcheh, no picnic? What do you think of my team? Those damn twins constantly asking the same questions because they're too proud to listen to the answers of each other's questions. And that brat Shikamaru, keeps on using Genjutsu on everyone around us." Shikamaru tiredly let out.

Naruto chuckled shortly. "Funny that he's named after you, though. Does the kid know that?"

Shikamaru sighed. "Yeah, and he can't help but letting me know he's not happy at all to be named after me. Noisy brat."

"All in all, I had fun. I learned a lot from teaching a team." Naruto suddenly genuinely let out. "I hope they learned a lot from me, too."

Neji and Shikamaru turned silent on that, but nodded their agreement seconds later.

"I hope you didn't teach them any of your... Youth... Techniques, though." Neji wondered out loud as he glanced sideways at Naruto.

Naruto simply gave him the victory sign.

"Naruto!"

All three Jounin Senseis turned to see Kiba, Shino and Sakura enter the bar they were in. Already, the three were kind of tipsy. "Ah, Sakura-chan! Nice to see you!"

"Likewise..." Sakura greeted as she approached him and gave him a short hug. "How've you been?"

"Fine, fine. We were just discussing how our teams will do in the Chuunin Exams. What do you think?" Naruto asked the three newcomers.

"Tcheh, your teams all kick ass, man!" Kiba said. "I've heard from within the Clan that the Inuzuka Genins under Nara Shikamaru have learned a lot. But there's a rumour their dogs are actually growing faster than usual." He said as he looked at Shikamaru.

Shikamaru nodded. "Yeah, their dogs are about half their boss' size."

Kiba sweat dropped. "Man, that's so unfair. You know how long it took Akamaru to grow that big?" He grumbled.

"Hm, where is Akamaru, anyway, Kiba?" Sakura asked. "I just noticed he wasn't with you the entire time."

"He's at home, training with my sister's dogs." Kiba answered.

"Naruto-san." Shino spoke up as he addressed Naruto. "How is... Aburame Kira fairing?"

Naruto's look hardened. "Why do you ask? Afraid she might hurt the Clan?"

Shino shook his head. "It gives me great pleasure to see such a reaction coming from you... I am fond of Kira-san... She's had a rather... unfortunate childhood." He stared Naruto in the eyes and took off his glasses. "Like you have had. Therefore, I ask of you, as future heir of the Aburame Clan. Please, let my own Clan grow fond of Aburame Kira-san as well." Naruto's eyes widened as Shino shortly bowed his head and put his glasses back on.

"Heh, nothing else would give me a greater sense of satisfaction but to prove an entire Clan wrong..." His eyes turned sad for a split second, no one noticed. 'Or an entire Country...'

"What about your team, Neji? Anything noteworthy?" Kiba asked.

"They are able to crush any Inuzuka in their way." Was the immediate response.

"Hey, you looking for a fight?" Kiba responded as he clenched both his fists.

'Naruto has really changed...' Sakura thought as she ignored the talks the people before her were having and gazed at the laughing Naruto. 'Much more mature, a real Jounin Sensei he has become. But he rarely talks to his former team members anymore...' She sadly thought.

"Hey, Naruto! I heard those Hyugas were giving you a hard time!" Kiba's loud voice echoed throughout the room they were in. "Heh, no wonder, though, with one from the Main Family and one from the Branch."

Naruto shrugged. "Ah, they were ok. I could handle them just fine. I mean, look at how Neji turned out."

Sakura smiled as the others laughed, while Neji glared at Naruto. 'I wonder what he meant, one year ago. Perhaps our bonds are really broken?'

---

Naruto was walking home as he was playing with his house keys in his left pocket, he just left the bar they were drinking at. Tomorrow the Chuunin Exams would begin. He had heard from Gaara that Temari and Kankurou were Jounin Senseis too and that their teams would visit Leaf as well. Good times, good times, because Gaara himself would come to Konoha too.

"Oy, dobe."

Naruto looked up with a grin on his face. "Nice to see you too, bastard. It's been long."

Sasuke landed in front of Naruto and smiled as well. "I've heard you're entering your team in the Chuunin Exams."

Naruto nodded as he continued his walking, knowing Sasuke would follow him. "Yeah, they're more than ready. They were ready half a year ago, but I want them to crush all the others in the Exam, so I waited for an extra few months."

"That's not like you, actually waiting." Sasuke let out with genuine surprise in his voice. "You were unsure, thinking of what Kakashi had done years ago, entering us so quickly."

Naruto sadly smiled as he remembered the events in the Forest of Death. "To be honest, yeah... I want them to be ready for anything. So I trained them extra hard, with Jiraiya's help, even. They should be able to wipe everyone out there."

"Sounds like fun. Will be good to watch, hm?" Sasuke let out, before he looked up and noticed something. "Ah." Naruto looked up as well. "Looks like you're needed at the Hokage Tower." The Uchiha noted as a small bird was circling above them.

"At this hour, even." Naruto wondered. "I wonder what Tsunade wants now..." He patted Sasuke on the shoulder. "Well, talk to you later, bastard."

"Yeah... later, dobe." Sasuke reacted as Naruto vanished. 'Later...'

---

"Say WHAT!"

---

The next few days came rolling by fast. Naruto found out all the Rookie Genin Teams from Konoha had made it past the First Test and Second Test. All that was left was the final test, the Tournament, he remembered.

But he wasn't really thinking about that. Instead, his mind and eyes were on the robe he was wearing. A white robe, which a former Hokage owned. The Yondaime. 'I can't believe I've been chosen as the next Hokage...' Naruto thought. 'Am I really ready for such a thing?'

"Uzumaki-sensei!"

Naruto turned around to see his team running towards him.

"What's with the clothes, sensei?" Aburame Kira spoke up first. "You're out shopping?"

Naruto smiled at the black-haired girl, who wore no glasses, unlike most Aburame Members. The eyes of an Aburame were truly beautiful, as they were pitch black, but didn't seem to reflect anything. Exactly how Naruto didn't want himself to be reflected in anything lately. Not for nothing, anyway.

"Neh, this here is sort of a promotion." He responded as he put both his hands on the white robe. "It's from a former Hokage, guess which one, hm?" He laid out for his team.

"Pf, that's easy." Hyuga Hanatou said. "The Yondaime of course. Anyone would recognise that, taichou!"

Naruto grinned at the young Hanatou. After four months of being a team, the two Hyugas had both decided to call Naruto a Captain, instead of a Teacher. Naruto had decided that they weren't his subordinates, but rather, his partners during a mission. Only Kira called him Sensei, but on missions, she too, called him Captain.

Yashiro shook his head with his eyes closed and his arms folded in front of his chest. The long-haired Hyuga also wore a slight grin. "You know, it's all too easy to figure out what this means, Uzumaki-taichou..." He opened his eyes and stared at the curious Naruto. "Hokage, right?"

Naruto snorted. "Damn Hyugas and their wits..."

---

In the stands above the field the Genins would fight in, a few Jounin Instructors were talking with each other.

"I can't believe you're actually going to become Hokage, Naruto." Temari said as she patted Naruto on the head. "A Chibi like you."

"Hey hey!" Naruto let out. "I'm taller than you now, you know."

Kankurou chuckled. "Heh, it was to be expected, though. It seems Suna owes you a favour, hm?" All three looked to where the Kages were seated. The Hokage and the Kazekage. "Gaara already told us you'd become Hokage, you know?"

Naruto shrugged. "Heh..."

"Oy, you three are way too early... Most of the Genins aren't even here yet..."

Temari rolled her eyes. "Hooo... look what the cat dragged in. I can't believe you actually managed to make your team ready for a Chuunin Exam, as lazy as you are."

"Ah, it's you..." Shikamaru lazily said as he stood next to Naruto. "So, you finally made it, huh, Naruto?" Shikamaru commented as he didn't even acknowledge the white robe Naruto was wearing.

Naruto nodded his head. "Too much of a giveaway, hm?" He noted as he pulled the robe off. "Don't want to show off too much, especially not to the villagers in the crowd."

"Why not?" A new voice called out. "It's not like you to not show off now, is it?"

"Hyuga!" Kankurou greeted. "Long time no see!"

Neji nodded his greeting and smiled. "Kankurou-san, Temari-san, nice to finally see you two. I've heard you entered your teams as well. Unfortunately for your teams that my team is in this as well. Sorry, but... You guys don't stand a chance."

"Leave it to the damn Hyuga to be competitive." Temari mumbled. "I figured it would be Naruto who would start this. I guess he really has grown up, huh?"

Naruto sighed. "Hey, hey, I wasn't that bad, was I? Ah, look!" He said as he pointed downwards, signalling towards Genins entering the clearing. "They're getting started."

All five Jounins looked down as more Jounins entered the stand they were in. "Man, my team looks so good, don't they?" Naruto bragged as he gave them a victory sign from up above.

Shikamaru shook his head. "As usual, the two Inuzukas are having a bitchfight again..." He whined. "Can't they be more representative for a change?"

"Hm." Neji spoke up. "That little brat, Kaji... He's reading everyone's minds already." Neji shook his head as Kaji gave him the thumbs up from down there.

"This will be interesting." A new voice said from behind them. "All your teams look strong. Even those from Suna." This earned the newcomer a glare from both Temari and Kankurou.

"Ah, nice to see you here, Uchiha." Kankurou sarcastically said. "Didn't think you'd be at a Chuunin Exam."

"Actually, I wouldn't want to miss this." Sasuke responded.

"Why, you're going to steal some new techniques?" Temari asked. It was very clear the two Suna Shinobis didn't really like the Uchiha.

Sasuke shook his head. "No, I have no need for Chuunin Level Techniques. But," He looked sideways at Naruto. "Good to see a new Hokage in our Village."

Naruto grinned. "Glad to be here."

---

In the crowd...

"Damn, have you heard the news, Sakura?"

Sakura looked away from the participating Genins to look at Ino. "What, Ino? Some more gossip coming from you?"

Ino shook her head. "Nope. I've just heard that we'll be having two Hokages in our Village soon..."

Sakura's eyes widened. "Two? You can't mean..."

"Yup! That dumb former teammate of yours. He actually kept his promise! He's the Rokudaime! Or soon, anyway!"

Sakura's eyes couldn't have widened more.

---

TBC

Ah! A repeat:  
A friend of mine started writing! He goes by the name... uh, that sounds cheesy... but his author name is: Yurusane

It's like You're ah sane? But actually, you know how you pronounce it right, Unforgivable in Japanese. Perhaps it's written differently, I don't know, don't care...

Ok, that was bad... Anyway, hope you enjoyed this extremely short chapter, I know it's short, yeaahhhh, but my pre-readers said it was okay to leave it like this, heh! Pyr00tje and Yurusane are my pre-readers so go hurl a few full beer cans at their heads if you think it's too short this time around.

Greets


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